Trail Boss Fudgy Bites
There are brownies, and then there are the kind that mean business.
These Espresso Brownies lean into everything a brownie ought to be: deeply chocolatey, rich through the middle, and just fudgy enough to make cutting a clean square almost feel like a shame. Espresso powder doesn't turn them into a coffee dessert so much as deepen the cocoa, while a finishing sprinkle of Texas Salt Co. Espresso Salt gives every bite a little contrast.
They're the sort of dessert that belongs after a steak dinner, beside an afternoon cup of coffee, or eaten straight from the pan when nobody's looking. We won't judge.
Makes: 16 brownies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Texas Salt Co. Espresso Salt
How to Make Espresso Brownies
1. Prepare the pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some excess over the sides. Those parchment edges will make it much easier to lift the finished brownies from the pan.
2. Melt the butter
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Continue cooking, stirring often, until the butter foams, begins to brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 5–7 minutes.
Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Build the brownie batter
In a large bowl, whisk the browned butter and granulated sugar together until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract and instant espresso powder until dissolved.
4. Add the dry ingredients
Sift in the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.
Fold the ingredients together until just combined. Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in; that's part of keeping these brownies tender and fudgy rather than cakey.
5. Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center remains slightly soft. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Remove the brownies from the oven.
6. Finish with Espresso Salt
While they're still hot, sprinkle the surface with Texas Salt Co. Espresso Salt.
That finishing salt is where the recipe really comes together—the salt cuts through some of the sweetness while the espresso notes play off the chocolate already in the brownies.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, approximately 1 hour.
Use the parchment to lift them from the pan, cut into squares and serve.